Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

HUD: Renters With Disabilities Still Face High Rates Of
Discrimination
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
July 25,
2005

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS--People with disabilities often face
discrimination when they try to rent apartments.

That's the conclusion of a study released Monday which was commissioned
by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Urban Institute conducted the study, choosing the city of Chicago
because of the willingness of its disability community to help in the research.

Researchers sent testers who used wheelchairs or who were deaf and used
a TTY (text-telephone) to check out 100 apartments in the city that were listed
as available for rent. The researchers later sent testers without disabilities
to the check on same apartments.

According to the report, entitled "Discrimination Against Persons With
Disabilities - Barriers at Every Step", wheelchair users experienced
discrimination about one-third of the time. One was even told, "No wheelchairs
here. You can't come in!"

The deaf apartment seekers were discriminated against about one-half of
the time, the report stated. Those testers were often refused service
altogether or were given less information than hearing testers.

"We've made strides in so many areas, like discrimination against
blacks, Hispanics," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, who commented that he
was surprised at the results.

"I believe basically we had made the same kind of strides toward people
with disabilities."

The study also found that about one-third of the rental properties
listed were not accessible to wheelchairs.

Federal law prohibits discrimination in housing against people with
disabilities.

The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center,the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.